Labyrinth of The Gods
by Luna Greymalkin
Summary: Xena/Labyrinth. Set before the 25 years. Eve gets kidnapped by the Goblin King. Xena, Gabby, and Joxer have 13 hours to get to Eve before she becomes a goblin forever. Please Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1: The Saga Begins

Labyrinth of the Gods Part 1  
  
Xena sat in quite thought. She had sent Gabrielle and Joxer off to   
gather firewood. They had been on the go for two days straight now. They   
were all exhausted. Eve was sound asleep in Xena's arms. They couldn't   
take much more of this running, but that's about all you can do when   
you have all of Olympus after you.   
  
Xena was at the breaking point. She thought to  
herself. She wished that all of this was over. She wished that something  
would come and take all of her troubles away from her. She dearly loved  
her daughter, but she just couldn't take it.   
  
Joxer and Gabrielle were making their was back to camp, their arms full of wood.   
They walked in silence. The events of the past few days weighed heavily on their   
souls. It had drained the chatter from the two friends. When they finally arrived   
back at camp, they found Xena asleep already, with Eve's bundle at her side.   
Gabrielle and Joxer began to build a fire, just then they heard an odd sound. It   
sounded like some kind of animal drowning, a very beastly gurgling noise. They  
both looked up from the fire. They weren't sure what or where the noise  
came from. As they both scanned the camp, their eyes landed on Eve's  
bundle at the same time. Something scurried under the blanket and then the  
sound was heard again, this time loud enough to awake Xena from her sleep.   
  
Xena sat up and looked at her friends. Their eyes were  
still glued to the bundle next to her on the ground. Once more the  
bundle moved and this time the sound was more like a laugh. A beastly,  
gurgling laugh. Xena reached over to the bundle and ripped the top  
cover away. To her horror Eve was not there.   
  
For a long time Xena stared at the empty bundle. Her  
mind had been wiped clean. Then a soft, rapid thumping noise was heard, over a strange humming,   
emerging from the trees. The three drew their weapons and stood in readiness. Scanning   
the trees,they saw it, a white owl was flying at them. Xena could she the lightfrom the   
fire reflected into it's great, round, dark eyes,watching her. Behind them, a goblin   
briefly popped out of the bushes and back in. Another did the same. Xena didn't see them.   
All their eyes were focused on the owl's eyes.   
  
Lightning crackled and flashed. Their attention was  
taken off the owl and centered on a strange clock that had appeared in  
front of them. The hands on the clock were at thirteen o'clock.   
  
Behind them, something snickered. They spun around and  
saw it duck down in the bushes. They saw shadows running though the trees. Goblins   
were all around them. The wind rose to a pitch. The lightning shown like daylight. The   
goblins vanished into the night. Thunder boomed and the wind blasted through the trees.   
The white owl flew low into the circle, forcing the three to the ground. A strike of  
lighting threw a long shadow on the ground, it was the shadow of a man. The  
man wore a long cloak, that swirled in the wind. His hair was   
shoulder-length and blond.   
  
The three rose from the ground. "Who are you?", Xena  
said picking up her sword and pointing it toward the man. "Don't  
you know?" The man asked.   
  
Lightning ripped across the sky and lit his face. His  
eyes were fixed on Xena with intensity that she found extremely  
compelling. There was something about him that she found extremely sexy, or  
was it just her hormones kicking in after giving birth. His shirt was  
creamed-colored, open in the front, loose-sleeved, with silken cuffs at the  
wrist. Over it he wore a tight, black waistcoat. He wore black boots,  
over gray tights, and he wore black gloves on his hands.   
  
Xena spoke again. "This is the last time I ask, who in Hades are   
you? I'll give you till the count of three to answer.", she growled   
at him. "Since you have asked me so nicely, how can I refuse,"  
the man said calmly. "My name is Jareth, The Goblin King." 


	2. Chapter 2: The Agreement

Chapter 2: the agreement  
  
  
  
"All right," Xena hissed out, "Jareth, King of the Goblins, what have you done with my child?"  
  
"What you asked of me my dear," he replied his words wrapping around Xena's thoughts like silk. She quickly shook it off. More for fear of her daughter or where her thoughts were going she did not know nor did she want to think on it right now.  
  
"What do you mean she asked," Gabrielle asked finally finding her voice.  
  
"She said that she wanted all of her troubles to be taken from her and I have done as she requested." The Goblin King smiled a triumphant smirk that Xena so badly wanted to wipe off his face.  
  
"By Hades you will give me back my child or I'll.."  
  
"Or you'll what, WARRIOR PRINCESS", he hissed out practically spitting her title in contempt.  
  
That was it. Her temper flared and she lunged at him screaming sword drawn. However, where her aim was fixed she soon found was thin air. She lost her balance with her attack and fell to the ground, thinking fast however, she somersaulted back to her feet.  
  
"Come, come this is no way to act during first introductions and certainly not a good way to endear yourself to the person who now holds your child."  
  
She stopped cold and turned around to face him. "What do you intend to do to my daughter?  
  
"Nothing, at least for the next 13 hours, but after that she will be mine and turned into a goblin," he whispered.  
  
"A goblin, why," Joxer asked.  
  
"It's all very clear, she asked the child be taken, I took her, and I am after all the Goblin King. You are assuming that the title means nothing. However I digress, I assume that you would like to regain your child", Jareth asked.  
  
"Yes, what do we have to do", Xena asked.  
  
With that the whole clearing in which they had been camping dissolved and in a gust of wind they found themselves on a hilltop. "What you see before you is my Labyrinth, at its center is my castle. If you can, within 13 hours, solve my labyrinth you will have your daughter returned to you. If not she will be mine forever and turned into a goblin, no longer your concern and no longer of any claim to you."  
  
With this, he disappeared into a cloud of glitter.  
  
"Well, we had better get going," Xena said with a sigh.  
  
"Xena, do you think the gods can find us here," asked Gabrielle.  
  
"I don't know but as far as I'm concerned I trust this Goblin King about as much as I trust the gods," Xena replied.  
  
Looking out upon the labyrinth, Gabrielle shuttered, "Do you think we'll get thru it in time."  
  
"One way to find out," Xena replied as she started down the hill with Gabrielle and Joxer in tow. 


	3. Chapter 3: A Deal Done

Chapter 3: A Deal Done  
  
Jareth reappeared in his throne room and couldn't resist a satisfied chuckle. He was going to  
have a new subject and with any luck he might have a new companion. He walked over to his  
throne and throwing his leg across one arm sat down and conjuring and crystal began to twirl it  
with his fingers.   
  
"You seem very pleased with yourself," came a voice from the shadows. Jareth looked up to see  
two people emerge from the shadows. The man  
was tall, looking regal with his solid jaw and white hair pulled back in a low ponytail. His long  
dark robe, blue and red with silver trimming glistened like a stained window in the candlelight  
and drug ever so lightly upon the stone floor. The woman was breathtaking in her beauty with  
her emerald green eyes and cruel, stony face. Her black gown glistened like the feathers of a  
black swan, the bodice clinging to her thin frame, peacock feathers hang around her collar like a  
hundred eyes staring out of the darkness. They radiated power and demanded all encompassing  
obedience from all. Jareth stood and walked over to them, not so much out of respect and  
courtesy but out of fear and awe of their power. True they were in his kingdom, but he knew the  
facts of their agreement.   
  
"Of course I am, I am acting upon our agreement and in the process I will gain a subject and a  
companion," he boasted triumphantly.   
  
"You delude yourself, Jareth," replied Hera. "You honestly think that Xena will without  
compliant give you her child and also without any  
objection become your queen and stay here with you."   
  
"Perhaps in time my dear," purred Jareth in return.   
  
"Enough of this, Zeus bellowed. "You know your obligation Jareth, you may do whatever you  
wish with the child so long as she stays in this realm where she can do us no harm. As for Xena  
and those other two, you are welcome to them. It would be nice to have them out of the way,  
and it looks like you could use some company other than these absurd goblins," declared Zeus.   
  
"Yes, but remember that I still stand in my rights as being able to call on all the gods for favors  
as they do me. You must agree that I  
need to keep my obligations," countered Jareth, rising from his chair, slightly annoyed.   
  
Hera turned to her husband and signed quietly but still with a stony look upon her face. "Come  
husband our business here is done, farewell Jareth have your fun and enjoy our present to you.  
Perhaps we may call upon you again for services if you succeed in this."   
  
Jareth bowed and took the Goddess' hand in his own kissing it and gently retracting his fingers  
to let her hand fall. She gave a small smile and disappeared into a burst of blue light. Zeus  
looked at the spot formerly occupied by his wife then turned to face Jareth. "Farewell Jareth, you  
will tell me if they actually beat your damned labyrinth."   
  
"Of course, but in due time, realize they are only at the beginning, it will take them sometime to  
get to the center." With this thought Zeus turned to walk away and said "You don't know Xena  
and her friends, Jareth. Don't underestimate them." With that Zeus disappeared into a burst of  
white light.   
  
Jareth smiled, "Hah! They've only just begun and unfortunately for them they are not fated to  
win this game." Jareth laughed and drew a crystal to see how far his new prey had gotten and  
quietly settled on his throne to relax. 


	4. Chapter 4: Starting Somewhere

Starting Somewhere   
  
The sun slowly came up over the horizon and cast a surreal glow over what lay before them. Xena  
gritted her teeth and kept walking, she had one intention at the moment, to get her daughter back.  
After she succeeded in doing that she was going to kick the crap out of a certain sanctimonious and  
self-absorbed Goblin King. She hadn't decided yet though how she was going to do it. It was a toss  
up between a chakram to the chest, a sword to the gut or tear him apart with her bear hands, either  
way she was definitely going to enjoy it.   
  
Gabrielle, having spent a great deal of time with Xena knew when her friend was upset and not in  
the mood to be chatty, still she could not help but ask, "Xena do you really think we can get to Eve  
in time?"  
  
Xena did not turn to look to her friend, she did not even break her stride. "Gabrielle we don't have a  
choice, we have to beat this damned Labyrinth and get my child back."   
  
Joxer, never really having that good of timing or realization of keeping his mouth shut had the good  
taste to speak up, "Don't worry Gabrielle, Xena's got this all figured out and if worse comes to  
worse we'll just have to put our heads together and kick some goblin butt."   
  
"Joxer not now," Xena hissed.  
  
They finally reached the entrance of the Labyrinth and seeing it from a distance compared nothing to  
seeing it only inches away. The walls, thick stone and at least ten feet tall cast an imposing shadow  
on the trio. The walls were sand colored and worn with time and the elements. There were sparse  
vines and shrubbery that ran up the length of the walls and the glitter that some how stuck to  
everything, all added to the mystery and foreboding of what lay ahead.   
  
"How do we get in?" asked Gabrielle looking up at the vastness and the length of the walls. "I don't  
know but there has to be some door or opening," Xena replied looking around. "Ok you two spread  
out and look for anything that looks like interesting."   
  
They each went to work, Xena walked along one length of the wall, Gabrielle the other and Joxer  
stayed in the same place but thoroughly examined the wall and all its cracks and crevices. As can be  
imagined it was in this simple task that Joxer got himself into trouble. It was while he was down on  
the ground that he noticed small creatures buzzing around his head. At first glance they looked like  
fire flies, but at closer inspection, they appeared to be tiny humans with little irresidesent wings.  
They seemed to charge Joxer, who had just disturbed their burrow.   
  
"Stupid flies," Joxer muttered and absently swatted them away. However what he was swatting at  
did not liked to be abused and quickly took hold of his index finger still in the air and promptly bit  
down.  
  
"OOWWW!!" Joxer screamed as he jumped to his feet and ran around in circles. The fairy fluttered  
to the ground, battered by the failing man.   
  
Xena and Gabrielle hearing his screams quickly ran back to the place they were only moments ago  
and watched a very much in pain Joxer wag his finger in the air while still running and muttering  
curses in the air.   
  
It was this light moment that both amused Xena but also pissed her off. She walked over to Joxer  
and grabbing him by the ear promptly brought him up onto his tiptoe. "Joxer, I'm not going to say  
this again, quit screwing around and look for an opening."   
  
Joxer taking the point stopped waving his finger and quieted down. Xena dropped him on his butt  
and walked away. "I was looking for the door, then this little thing bit me." Joxer reached down to  
pick up the frightened and battered fairy to show Xena. As he grasped it, it sunk it's tiny teeth deep  
into his hand and the flew away. Joxer resumed his dance of pain, while Gabrielle just stood there  
and laughed.   
  
Xena rolled her eyes and looked up and gauged the height of the wall. I can definitely jump up there  
she thought, maybe we can walk along the walls and get to the castle faster that way. Suddenly she  
heard Jareth's voice in her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."   
  
"Go to Taurterus," she muttered and letting out her famous battle cry leapt up toward the top of the  
wall.   
  
However what she did not see coming were vines reaching out to intercept her. She tried to  
maneuver but she honestly did not expect the shrubbery to come to life. Letting out a cry of both  
pain and shock, she was quickly met by the vines and slapped down to ground, hard.   
  
Gabrielle and Joxer, forgetting about his bleeding hand, ran over to their fallen friend and helped her  
up. The pain in Xena's body screamed at her but she ignored it. Out of nowhere they heard a gruff  
and low voice.   
  
"Geez, they never do learn, do they, nothing is what it seems in this place and they have to learn the  
hard way."   
  
They all turned to see where the voice came from and set their collective gazes on a dwarf leaning  
causally against the wall.   
  
"Who are you," demanded Xena.   
  
"No one important but to you someone you're gonna need to get into the Labyrinth," he replied.   
  
Xena for the hundredth time today gritted her teeth, "All right, what do you want," she hissed.   
  
"Want do I want?" said the dwarf. "I don't want nothin. I'm just here to do my job. I was just takin a  
rest is all." He reached down and picked up a spray can that was resting on the wall by his feet and  
started after the fairies that we're busing around crazily. He came up to the one that had just bit  
Joxer and sprayed it. The fairy flitted to the ground and lay almost lifeless on the ground. Both the  
dwarf and Joxer gave joyous shouts as the fairy fell to the ground. "Serves you right you little  
monster!" Joxer said grasping his injured hand while he kicked dirt on the downed fairy.   
  
"That's horrible!" Gabrielle said as she watched the two in their victory dance.   
  
"No, I'm not!" said the dwarf. "I'm Hoggle!" 


	5. A Helping Worm?

It felt like they had been walking for hours, for all they knew they had been walking that long mainly because the only indication of the passage of time was the sun overhead. Even this could have been an illusion, but with little else left to do the trio could only hope that they were making good time.  
  
Despite this Xena walked on in silence, anger spread plainly across her face.  
  
Gabrielle and Joxer followed close behind watching the surroundings for anything that might be of use to them or of danger. Every few minutes on of them would trip over the roots and tree limbs spread haphazardly across their path.   
  
After a little while Xena stopped and turned to Gabrielle. "This is getting us nowhere let's sit here for a minute and gather our ideas," she said never stopping to examine thoroughly her surroundings with her keen eyes and experienced instincts.  
  
Xena and Gabrielle sat opposite of each other while Joxer settled down in the middle. Out of sheer boredom or just not wanting to be in Xena and Gabrielle's way he began to silently pick at the bark of the root that he sat on.  
  
"All right, let's think for a moment, what do we know," asked Xena.  
  
"Well," answered Gabrielle, "we know that Eve has been kidnapped, we have thirteen hours to get to the center of this Labyrinth and we are making horrible time because we can't seem to find an outlet although more likely than not there is one and we just can't see it or haven't found it."  
  
"We also know that this Goblin King has something up his sleeve for us," added Xena, "we just need to figure out what it is."  
  
"Maybe he is in league with the gods," asked Joxer still playing with the roots.  
  
"Maybe but why would he help them and what could they offer him that would be of use to him," Xena replied rubbing the back of her neck and looking upward at the sun again.  
  
"He's got magic, and he is powerful, maybe they offered him something that he can't get on his own."  
  
Xena turned to Gabrielle, "That's only true if his powers don't extend past this realm, and that is something we don't know for sure yet."  
  
During this interlude Joxer had been happily content to examine the tree limbs around them and only imagine what they were in for, as they got further into the Labyrinth. It was in his distraction that a worm that had been watching the conversation chooses to stick his head out and get a better view.   
  
He examined the man first, being that he was closest to him. He looked big, although to a worm almost anything is big in comparison. He then looked to the obvious warriors conversing. He looked warily at the strange weapons that they carried and the anger and worry that covered their faces. He had seen that look many times before; they were in the Labyrinth for a reason. Someone that they loved was in danger. Another victim was entertaining the Goblin King in his Labyrinth.  
  
Always being one to engage conversation and just finishing tea with his wife and having nothing better to do at that moment he decided to speak up.  
  
"Hallo," came a high pitched out of the relative silence.  
  
"Aahah," yelled Joxer out of fear that it came directly behind him. He jumped to his feet and ran to the opposite wall, this being the furthest that he could get from it for the moment.  
  
Xena and Gabrielle both stood and turned to see where the voice had come from. To their equal surprise they saw a little gray worm with blue spiky hair and a red scarf around its neck.  
  
"Who are you," asked Xena.  
  
"Me, I'm just a worm, who are you"  
  
"Xena," motioning to Gabrielle, "Gabrielle, and Joxer over in the corner, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh, I'm just sitting around," he replied in a cordial voice, "I just finished tea with my wife and heard some noise out here, I thought that I would see what was going on."  
  
Gabrielle leaned down closer to the worm and smiled at him, "Maybe you could help us,"  
  
The worm smiled warmly, "I'll do my best, what do need help with."  
  
Gabrielle sat down so that she was eye level with the worm, "My friend's baby was stolen by the Goblin King and he told us we had thirteen hours to get to the center of the labyrinth, you won't happen to know the way would you."  
  
"Who me, no, I'm just a worm," he smiled happily.  
  
Xena exhaled sharply and walked over to where the worm and Gabrielle sat. She kneeled on the ground and met the worm eye to eye.  
  
"Look," she said trying very hard to keep her anger in reign, "we don't have time for this, can you help us or not, my baby has been kidnapped and will, in thirteen hours be turned into a goblin. I'm not too happy with that and we need to get to the center of the labyrinth."  
  
"Stolen," the worm asked looking at Xena with a confused expression, "I know the Goblin King isn't the nicest person in the world but he never steals children without right, they have to be wished away."  
  
Gabrielle and Joxer looked at each other in shock as the magnitude of what the worm said sank in.  
  
Xena stood abruptly and glared down at the worm, "Can you at least give us a general direction to work with."  
  
The worm smiled warmly again, "Oh sure, there's an opening right across the way there."  
  
All four inhabitants of the passage way looked across at a seemingly solid and slime covered wall.  
  
Gabrielle looked at the wall and turned back to the worm, "What passage way, that's just a wall, no way through."  
  
The worm laughed to himself, "Things are not always what them seem in this place so you can't take anything for granted."  
  
Xena walked up to the wall cautiously to the wall and reached out to feel that wall. To her surprise her hand went right through and disappeared into the hidden passage in the wall. She turned back to her friends, "Let's go we don't have much time." With that she promptly walked through the passage.  
  
"Thanks," said Gabrielle to the worm as she got up and followed her companion.  
  
"No problem at all," the worm beamed back at her obviously pleased with himself.  
  
Joxer smiled at the worm and got up to follow his friends. Unfortunately he was not paying attention to the ground and tripped over a tree stump. He lost his balance and fell through the passageway. To his dismay, he had not yet realized that the way in which he had fallen caused him to go into the other passageway and not the one that Xena and Gabrielle had just disappeared.  
  
The worm looked after them and chuckled to himself. "At least that clumsy man will be safe," he said to himself, "as for those two girls, I'm sure they will be ok. They look like people who can take care of themselves."  
  
With that he crawled back into his hole in the wall to see if the missus had dinner ready yet. 


	6. Seperation

The area that Xena and Gabrielle stepped into was far different from where they had been. Instead of a path going two ways, they were greeted with stonewalls that twisted in every imaginable direction. The duo stopped for a second to look around and to get their bearings.  
  
"Well at least we're getting somewhere," remarked Gabrielle.  
  
"Yes," replied Xena still looking, hand lurking close to the hilt of her sword just in case. She walked over to a column that stood in the middle of the winding paths and looked at the stone hands that jutted out on all sides pointing in every direction. Xena grumbled quietly  
  
"The only directions they aren't pointing in are up and down," she muttered.  
  
She turned to Gabrielle who was also examining closely her surroundings.  
  
"Gabrielle, where's Joxer," she asked suddenly realizing that they were one person short.  
  
Gabrielle stood up and starting to walk around looking around every corner and down the numerous pathways.   
  
"Joxer...Joxer, this isn't funny", she called out.  
  
"Joxer," Xena yelled out. Her own echo, but nothing more answered her.  
  
Xena turned around and looked again up at the column of hands. Directly behind it was the castle beyond the Goblin City, in the distance she could hear a baby crying.  
  
"Well", Xena fumed, "let's get going, maybe we'll meet back up with him. I seriously doubt that Jareth would do anything to really hurt Joxer. After all this is one big game to him."  
  
"I hope you're right," replied Gabrielle as she followed Xena in the direction of the Goblin City.  
  
Jareth continued to stare at the duo through one of his crystals. "Yes, my dear, your little friend is in good hands. At least he will be when he runs into Livia." With this, he tossed his crystal into the air where it promptly vanished. He stood up and disappeared in the same fashion. The only remnant of his presence in the room was his fading laughter.  
  
Xena made good time, or at least that is what she kept telling herself. She wished to the gods that she had some way of knowing how much time had passed. She knew she was in a different realm or world and she did not know how the time ratio worked, if it even worked any different from back home. She despised the fact that there was so many things right now that she did not have the answers to. There was nothing she could do other than think about holding her child in her arms once again, that was what kept her going.   
  
Xena and Gabrielle turned a corner and found themselves at a dead end.   
  
"Damn," muttered Xena.  
  
She turned to face Gabrielle who was already around the corner trying to retrace their steps. When she came back around she shook her head.   
  
"There is a dead end behind us as well, the walls keep changing."  
  
A voice called out behind them, "That's right, that the dead end behind you."  
  
Both Xena and Gabrielle turned around to face what was no longer a dead end but a wall with two doors and two guards, or what could be called guards in front of them.  
  
In front of the doors were guards attached to large shields with heads sticking up at the bottom as well as the top. On the sides, long, thin arms jutted out and over the shield itself and at the top and bottom with the head between it appeared two legs on each shield. Gabrielle stepped closer to them, "You weren't here before, where did you come from."  
  
The two heads sticking out from behind the shields looked to each other and then back to Gabrielle grinning. "We don't know," replied one. "We can't tell you," replied the other.  
  
"Why not," asked Gabrielle?  
  
"Cause, we're not supposed too," remarked one of the heads on the bottom of the shield  
  
"Who says," asked Gabrielle?  
  
"I do, for one," answered a voice behind both Xena and Gabrielle.  
  
The duo turned to face their new assailant and found themselves toe to toe with a man who was the mirror image of Jareth. The only difference was that this man had dark brown hair and not the blond that they had seen on Jareth.  
  
"Who are you," demanded Xena as she drew her sword.  
  
The man grinned at both Xena and Gabrielle and spread his arms wide. " That's not necessary. I am Bartlby, brother to Jareth. As you can most likely see, Jareth and I share many physical traits. I am here to help you."  
  
"Help us, how," Gabrielle asked skeptically.  
  
"I will take you both to the center of the Labyrinth," he answered.  
  
"What do you want in return," demanded Xena, sword still pointed at Bartlby.  
  
Bartlby grinned sheepishly at this question and cast a sidelong look at Gabrielle.  
  
"I would like in exchange for taking you to the center of the Labyrinth the opportunity to court you." With this Bartlby made a gesture towards Gabrielle.  
  
Xena saw red immediately; she knew where this was going. "Sorry, no deal." Xena sidestepped in front of Gabrielle.  
  
Bartlby cast her a dismayed look, "My dear warrior, I have the noblest intentions with your friend. I mean no fowl play."  
  
"No deal," she hissed.  
  
By this point Gabrielle had been stepping away from Bartlby and accidentally bumped into the guards in front of the two doors.   
  
Upon feeling their cold noses on her back she stepped quickly back to Xena's side.   
  
"No deal, go back to Jareth and tell him to let us run this course with minimal interference from him and you all might survive," Xena bluntly said to Bartlby as she started to step toward him.  
  
Bartlby stood his ground and met the warrior princess eye to eye.   
  
"My dear lady, you must forgive my impertinence, but I always get what I want."  
  
With this, Bartlby reached out grabbed Gabrielle by the arm, pulling her to him. Before Xena could react, or even make a sound both Bartlby and Gabrielle disappeared into a flash of glitter.  
  
All Xena could do to keep herself from destroying every living thing within her reach at that point was to clench her fists and raise her head to the sky.  
  
"Gabrielle," she screamed in vain.  
  
*****************************************************************************************  
  
Joxer jolted to.  
  
"Xena!?"  
"Gabrielle!?"  
"Where are you guys?"  
  
Joxer got to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. He had awoken in a lush green courtyard with pounds and pools throughout it. There were small benches and statues of odd little creatures scattered all around. The castle stood not too far off in the distance.  
  
"I thought I heard Xena scream. That's were she'd be if she's near hear." Joxer said as he started off toward the castle.  
  
"Not so fast, intruder."  
  
Joxer spun around and came face to face with a beautiful woman. She was pale white with long black hair flowing down her back. She wore a simple white dress with silver trim on the V-cut neck, tapered sleeves, and hem. It gathered just below her breasts and flowed freely to her feet.  
  
"Who.....Who are you?" Joxer said in wonder.  
  
"I am Livia," the woman said. "Jareth's sister. How dare you trespass in my private baths."  
  
"Baths!? Trespass!?" Joxer said in amazement. "I was just following my friends and ended up here." Joxer sat down on the nearest bench.  
  
"Friends? Hmmmm.......Stay here. I will be right back."   
  
Livia vanished before the very much-surprised Joxer and reappeared in the castle beyond the Goblin City. Jareth sat happily lounging on his throne twirling three crystals in his hand.  
  
Livia stormed over to him green eyes flashing anger. "Jareth, one of your little playthings has invaded my garden. May I inquire as to why you let that happen"?  
  
Jareth smiled at his sister never stopping the twirling of the crystals. "Dearest sister, I would think that you would like the gift that I dropped into your garden."  
  
Livia fumed and she pushed a stray tendril of black hair off her shoulder, "Well you could have at least warned me, I do not like uninvited nor unexpected guests in my private garden".  
  
Jareth flicked his wrist causing the three crystals to disappear and stood up. He walked over to his sister and placed his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Dearest sister," Jareth purred, "enjoy the gift I have given you. He is one of three people who traverse my Labyrinth as we speak; I have split them up so they can lose. I felt that you, Bartlby and myself could enjoy the adventure of getting to know them."  
  
He emphasized those last few words and with that Livia conjured a crystal that shown Joxer in Livia's garden frantically looking for a way out or any signs of the woman who had appeared before him and just as quickly disappeared.  
  
Livia smiled at the image of Joxer and then looked to her brother. "Very well," she said, "I will amuse myself with him. He looks like someone I could thoroughly enjoy." With that Livia immediately disappeared.  
  
Jareth smiled to himself, "I know you will sister, I know you will". 


	7. Courting

Courting  
  
Gabrielle wasn't sure exactly what happened. All she remembered was Xena and Bartlby talking and the creepy guards in the doorway. She remembered how Xena told Bartbly that the deal he was offering was not going to happen. He grabbed her and Xena disappeared from Gabrielle's sight.  
  
She remembered the gust of wind and the shimmer of glitter as Xena disappeared. After that, she couldn't remember anything until she woke up. Gabrielle felt the warmth of the sun on her face. She needed to get up. Xena was probably already up and searching for food while Joxer was preparing the fire to fix breakfast.  
  
She stretched out and sighed as sleep left her. She would have to tell Xena about the weird dream. She had dreamt that they were in some weird labyrinth and had to save Eve from some king who had a perpetual bad hair day. She knew Xena would really get a kick out of the king, I mean really, tights.  
  
Something, however, caught Gabrielle's attention. She didn't remember her blankets feeling so much like silk. She opened her eyes and sat bolt upright in a bed, as everything came back to her in a torrent. She realized that her weird dream was an unfortunate reality. Looking around, Gabrielle slowly took in her surroundings. Large room, stone walls, one large window with heavy, burgundy curtains hanging down from the top.  
  
Gabrielle couldn't help but smile at the bed. It was one of the largest she had ever seen. It was a four-post bed with burgundy sheets to match the curtains and drapes hanging down from the posts. Gabrielle got up and tried to stand but she got caught up in the sheets on the bed. She tried to disentangle herself but she soon realized that it was not the sheets that she was entangled in but a long, flowing dress.  
  
She pulled up some of the skirt to examine it closer. It was a pale blue with cross ties starting at the waist and stopping at the collar. The sleeves were tapered and hung down with the skirt. The skirt itself was a flowing skirt decorated with the design of vines and ivy.  
  
She had not noticed, in her examination of the room and dress that in one corner next to the door stood Bartlby leaning casually against the wall. She looked up and upon seeing him put the bed between her and him.  
  
"Where am I, why did you bring me here and what is with the dress," she asked angrily.  
  
Bartlby smiled slowly and shifted his weight to walk toward her. Gabrielle tensed her body for any incoming attacks.  
  
Bartlby stopped halfway across the room and his smile fell. He raised his hands to her as he spoke softly. "Please, Gabrielle, don't believe that I will hurt you."  
  
Gabrielle, being caught off guard by this open showing of emotion let her hands fall back to her sides.  
  
"Let me go," she asked flatly.  
  
Bartlby looked pained but only slightly for any emotion he showed was quickly covered by a cool smirk that Gabrielle had seen on another certain Goblin King.  
  
"I'm afraid that I can't do that because our deal has already taken effect. I have placed Xena in a situation that will help her significantly in solving the Labyrinth."  
  
"So you will hold me here against my will."  
  
"No, not against your will, you are free to go at any time."  
  
Gabrielle eyed Bartlby skeptically, "I can leave any time I wish."  
  
He smiled at her. "Yes, you may go anywhere in the castle and on the grounds, even the Goblin city is open to you. The only restriction is that you cannot go back into the Labyrinth."  
  
Gabrielle's face flushed red as she filled with anger. She stormed over to where Bartlby stood and faced him eye to eye.  
  
"So this all a game to you," she demanded coldly  
  
"No," he responded, "it is only a game to my brother."  
  
"Then what do you have to gain from all this," she asked.  
  
Bartbly smiled shyly as he grabbed Gabrielle's hand and brought it to his lips. "I have more to gain than anyone."  
  
Gabrielle pulled her hand away quickly and slapped him across the face with the other.  
  
Bartlby looking slightly hurt stepped back from her and breathed in deeply. "I will leave you to settle in, dinner will be at sunset, hopefully you will join me."  
  
"Get out," she hissed as she turned from him looked for some type of weapon. Without a word Bartlby bowed to Gabrielle and disappeared into a cloud of glitter.  
  
Gabrielle walked over to the window and looked out on the Labyrinth before her. She looked down to see if climbing down the window was an option available to her. It wasn't, as she could not see the ground below her. She sighed as she looked once again to the Labyrinth. "Be careful, Xena," she whispered, "this game is getting complicated."  
  
Xena saw Gabrielle but didn't react in time. She jumped forward to grab for Gabrielle, but they had disappeared. She stumbled forward catching only air and tumbled to thee ground. When she stood up she was in new surroundings.  
  
She gritted her teeth as she looked around. "I guess our deal has taken affect."  
  
She was in a forest now. It was a dense forest and dark from the lack of sunlight getting through. The foliage was dark green and hung low to the ground. Xena started walking all the while looking at her surroundings for any attacks that might appear. She walked quickly and tensely, her hands constantly close to her chakram and sword. She listened intently to the sounds of the forest around her. It sounded like any ordinary forest with the whistles of birds, the chirping of crickets and the rustle of leaves in the wind.  
  
"So how are you enjoying my Labyrinth," came a male voice out of nowhere.  
  
Xena whirled around to see Jareth lounging comfortably against a nearby tree. Without any hesitation Xena hurled her chakram at him. Jareth quickly disappeared and the chakram became embedded in the tree he had been leaning. He promptly appeared behind her.  
  
"Now, now, you must control yourself," he smoothly said.  
  
Xena stalked over to the tree and dislodged her chakram. She placed it back on her belt before turning to face Jareth. "I thought I told your brother to tell you to let us run your course in peace."  
  
Jareth smiled wickedly, "I'm afraid Bartlby has other things on his mind right now."  
  
It took a great deal of self control for Xena not to throw her chakram once more, knowing that he would only disappear, and she needed information.  
  
"All right, why are you doing this," she asked as she folded her arms across her chest.  
  
Jareth casually drew a crystal from the air and began twirling it around his fingers before he looked at her once again. "You, as well as your friends intrigue me. You should feel honored that I am allowing you to run my Labyrinth."  
  
"Is that all," she asked, "this is all just for you amusement."  
  
"For the most part, yes, it is," he replied.  
  
Xena narrowed her eyes and grinned maliciously. "I knew it," she hissed, "you couldn't have come up with this plan all by yourself. You are working for someone else, doing their dirty work."  
  
Xena turned and started to walk away. "Go back to your master, lackey," she said sarcastically over her shoulder.  
  
Enraged Jareth materialized in front of Xena. He smiled wickedly at her, "How I do love the way your mind works, trying to rile me like that. You are an exceptional creature. Don't worry, we will chat another again. You still have work to do." With that he disappeared and Xena walked deeper into the forest. 


	8. Getting Interesting

Getting Interesting  
  
Left alone in the garden, Joxer tried his best to control the shaking fear that was running  
  
through him. He had just been face to face with a beautiful, albeit, extremely crazed young  
  
woman. "Jareth," she had growled before disappearing before his eyes. That was the name of  
  
the king of this place if Joxer remembered correctly. He could only guess that she knew him  
  
in some way. She definitely had his glare and pale skin. She had a slender frame, long legs  
  
and beautifully rounded....Joxer smacked himself on the forehead. No, don't even think about  
  
it. She might want to kill him and he was thinking about herlike that. Stupid, he chided  
  
himself. He wasn't even sure if she was coming back and he quickly decided that if she did,  
  
he did not want to be around. With that thought in his mind, he began to wander around the  
  
massive garden that he found himself in. It was lush and green and filled flowers unlike any  
  
he had seen before. The fountain in the center of the clearing huge. It glinted in the  
  
sunlight and looked like polished ivory. In the center of the fountain stood a large statue  
  
of two people entwined in an embrace. Joxer couldn't help but stare at it, it was beautiful.  
  
He was so caught up in the beauty of the garden that he failed to notice that Livia had  
  
reappeared a few feet behind him. She was watching him as he looked down at the water in  
  
the fountain.  
  
"You had better be careful," she mused as Joxer was jarred out of his thoughts and turned to  
  
face her.  
  
"That fountain is enchanted. If you look at it for any length of time you will be caught in  
  
it's spell and be doomed to look into it forever."  
  
"Really," asked Joxer. Livia motioned behind him and he turned and for the first time noticed  
  
the plethora of white marble statues of people scattered about the garden. Each had expressions  
  
of happiness and all were looking downward.  
  
"Those are people who I did not stopped from staring into the fountain." Livia said.  
  
"Why did you stop me then," asked Joxer. He was answered with a feral grin from Livia. He  
  
recognized that grin from Jareth. "Are you Jareth's sister?"  
  
Livia walked briskly toward him. "My you are quick," she purred considering that she told him  
  
when he first entered the garden. Joxer began to walk backwards to get away from her, but Livia  
  
kept advancing. Joxer's heart fell to his stomach when he felt his legs brush the edge of the  
  
fountain. He was trapped and Livia still advanced. Joxer closed his eyes and  
  
found himself in a passionate kiss with Livia. Any coherent thought that Joxer had had up to  
  
that point instantly vanished.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gabrielle paced the room. She wasn't ready yet to leave, she wanted to get her bearings and  
  
figure out how she was going to get out of the castle. In anger she had shredded the dress  
  
she had worn and dug through the wardrobe that stood up against the wall. "Figures," she  
  
hissed. Only dresses, nothing that she could comfortably engage combat. She walked over  
  
to another table and started to rummage through the drawers. Her face brightened we her  
  
hands emerged with a white poet's shirt. She tossed it on the nearby bed and opened the  
  
drawer underneath the one that had contained the shirt. She smiled once more when she held  
  
up a pair of black breeches. She tossed the pants with the shirt and opened another closet  
  
next to a very large room with a very large porcelain tub. In the bottom of the closet she  
  
obtained a pair of black boots.  
  
A few minutes later, Gabrielle stepped out of the room and into the hallway. She looked around  
  
before stepping out fully. The hallway was empty, the only  
  
sound came from outside. The chatter and activity of the Goblin city penetrated the walls.  
  
Gabrielle, alert and waiting for an attack stepped lightly down the left hall.  
  
She was beginning to think that the castle was unoccupied except for Jareth and  
  
Bartlby when she turned a corner and came upon a large throne room. Her eyes widened as she  
  
saw countless goblins of varying sizes running around and causing a great deal of commotion.  
  
She noticed that the throne in the front of the room was unoccupied. This fact did not sit  
  
easy with her. Where was Jareth? Where was Bartlby?  
  
"Despite the fact that you shun the traditional royal garb, you still look quite stunning,"  
  
came a male voice. Gabrielle spun around to be face to face with Bartlby. He had an amused  
  
expression on his face.  
  
Gabrielle gritted her teeth. "Give me a reason to not kill you." she hissed.  
  
"Because it would not be ladylike-", Bartlby's response was cut short with Gabrielle's hand.  
  
Bartlby reached to stop her. His expression wasn't one of anger or irritation, in fact, it was  
  
one of sorrow.  
  
"Please, Gabrielle, why must you be so hostile to me? I have given you gifts, my patience, I  
  
have not asked you to do anything that you did not wish-"  
  
"And you have taken away my friends and my freedom," she finished tersely.  
  
"I only wanted to spend some time with you and to let you get to know me better. I had hoped  
  
that in time you would not see me as an enemy."  
  
"How can I not see you as an enemy?" she replied. "Your brother has taken my friend's child,  
  
forced us to run his labyrinth in some sick, twisted game, lied to us, and you kidnap me because  
  
you are lonely."  
  
Bartlby's face fell once more. He could not bring himself to look her in the eye. "I hope that  
  
you will join me for dinner tonight. Feel free to walk about the grounds, they truly are lovely.  
  
I will leave you in peace now." With this he turned and quickly walked away. Gabrielle watched  
  
him go and mentally began the battle of not letting herself feel pity for this lonely prince. 


End file.
